Castell Haidd, Hayscastle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Haycastle; Hayscastell

In the community of Hayscastle.
In the historic county of Pembrokeshire (Modern authority of Pembrokeshire, preserved county of Dyfed).

The present day remains of the castle are relatively slight and only those familiar with earthen castles would recognise the site as a medieval castle. The earthen motte, or castle mound, is of the flat-topped type and was big enough to house a self-contained bailey complex. It was oval in plan and still stands around 20 feet high on one side, but unfortunately has been dug away on the side towards the nearby Celtic (as opposed to Norman) style church. The castle was protected by marshland on its south-western perimeter and by a widening of its wet moat at the opposite end. The line of its outer bailey on the north-eastern end is preserved as a curved fieldbank around which runs a single tracked tarmac road.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SM89542568

Modern Map from

Good for landscape form and features

Modern Map from

Good for general location

Air Photo from

1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Monuments Record number; 305307

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 4287

Web site links
- http://www.castlewales.com/haycastl.html
Books
- Hull, Lise, 2005, Castles and Bishops Palaces of Pembrokeshire (Logaston Press) p109
  Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p178
  Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p34
  Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p86 [slight]
  Miles, Dillwyn, 1979 (Revised 1988), Castles of Pembrokeshire (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park) p5-7
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p393
  RCAHMW, 1925, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Pembrokeshire (HMSO) p117
Journal Articles
- Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant

The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales, the four welsh archaeological trusts and other indivduals and organisations.

It is an offence to disturb a Scheduled Ancient Monument without consent. It is a destruction of everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from any site without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation.

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This record last updated on Saturday, January 20, 2007

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